The government says it will strengthen efforts to prevent the monkeypox virus from entering the country by closely monitoring related international cases.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters devoted much of its meeting on Wednesday to the endemic disease.
Senior health ministry official Lee Ki-il, who chaired the meeting, noted that South Korea already has an established monkeypox monitoring system from 2016. He said the government is now reviewing an expansion of testing at health and environmental research institutes nationwide to prepare for a potential entry of the virus into the country.
One-hundred-71 monkeypox cases and 86 suspected cases were reported in 18 countries, including the U.S., Australia and several European nations, this month alone.
Health authorities asked people who develop symptoms such as fever, headache and blistering rash within three weeks of returning from an overseas trip to make a report to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA).
Meanwhile, Lee also stressed that the government will make comprehensive preparations so that voters can cast their ballots safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic in next Wednesday’s local elections.
Lee said that ahead of the elections, the health and interior ministries as well as the KDCA will operate a government hotline from Friday to next Wednesday through which they can promptly hold discussions on any contingencies.
Source: KBS World Radio